The News

Suzie Vinnick and Tony D blow away the Monday night blues

Monday is a good night for the blues, so the Geomatic Attic was happy to wind up 2017 with a couple of Canada’s best— Suzie Vinnick and MonkeyJunk’s Tony D, Monday, Dec. 4.

I missed the first set, but caught an exceptional second set, which focused on Vinnick’s “Me N’ Mabel” Cd and some new material. Vinnick and Tony Diteodoro took turns singing leads and adding special sauce to each other’s songs. They started off hot with a gorgeous cover of Bob Dylan’s “Quit Your Lowdown Ways.” They continued with an equally hot cover of John Fogerty’s “One Hundred and Ten in the Shade“ and stayed in the traditional blues mode with blues classic “Spoonful.”

Tony D showed his guitar prowess and his love for Jimi Hendrix with a stunningly beautiful version of Hendrix’s “Little Wing,” which drew rousing cheers from the quiescent, transfixed crowd. Vinnick broke a few hearts with her sultry, sexy voice reminiscent of Sue Foley and Bonnie Raitt as she sang a pair of sexy songs from “Me N’ Mabel”— “You’ll be Mine” and the highlight “Save Me For Later.” Apparently I missed her great cover of “Oreo Cookie Blues,” which she played in the first set, but stayed with the food theme for “Save Me For Later.”

She played a couple of Roy Forbes songs including “ Crazy ’Bout Loving Me,” from “Me n’ Mabel.” In addition to her great voice, she showed she was no slouch on acoustic guitar, playing some impressive solos.”

She showed her country side after telling a story about playing for her dad’s favourite song “ I Need A Cowboy” while he was in hospice care and got the audience to sing along with the chorus.They were called back for an encore of Roy Forbes’ “ Let Me Make it Up To You” as she promised she would be back.

— By Richard Amery, L.A. beat Editor

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 13 December 2017 14:24 )

Highway 3 Roots revue previews new music

Wednesday, 13 December 2017 13:59
Richard Amery

The Geomatic Attic has had a great run of sold out shows, though it was no surprise that this year’s edition of the Highway 3 Roots Revue was a sold out show, Dec. 1 as it features three of the best singer songwriters, Lethbridge has to offer in Dave McCann, John Wort Hannam and Leeroy Stagger.

All three have kind of grown up together on Lethbridge]s scene and have since matured into laid back, hardworking family men.

They used the first set to introduce new music to the enraptured audience. Dave McCann opened the show by saying the trio used to tour for two weeks together before realizing “ touring in December is a bad idea.” Most of the new songs were about the joys of family and enjoying being at home counterbalanced by songs about being on the road.

John Wort Hannam played “ Acres of Elbow Room,” his contribution to the new Skinny Dyck and Friends Twenty-One Night Stands” compilation.

Leeroy Stagger added “Dirty Windshields,” the namesake of his CKUA radio show, while McCann added “Headlights and Halos,” the title track from his last CD. And Hannam added “Chasing the Song” while displayed fleet fingered guitar picking.

Dave McCann followed that up by chatting about his inspiration Pete Seeger and playing a new song about that called “ When The Crows Come to Carry Me Home.” Hannam returned to familiar territory with crowd favourite “Church of the Long Grass.”

Stagger played his powerful new song “Broken Generation,” which he premiered at the opening Lethbridge date with Barney Bentall’s Cariboo Express tour in Lethbridge, after talking about the importance of love and chatting with Bruce Cockburn and asking him “if love was enough.” McCann followed that up with a new song called “Bridges.” and had Stagger and Hannam and the audience singing along “Rolling, rolling, rolling.” Hannam wound up the first set with a heartfelt new song he wrote at his residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts about all the things he misses when he’s on the road like family and his son Charlie called “Missing it All.”

— By Richard Amery, L.a. beat Editor

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 13 December 2017 14:09 )

Norwegian Blue bands pay tribute to their favourite ”90s bands

Wednesday, 13 December 2017 13:46
Richard Amery

Local record company Norwegian Blue Records kicked off December on a rocking note as some of their bands revisited their favourite ’90s moments at the Owl Acoustic Lounge, Dec. 1 for a full house.

I arrived in time to catch local duo Sparkle Blood playing the hits of the White Stripes to an enthusiastic crowd.

They plowed through a gritty set of blues rock including obscurities and hits like “Seven Nation Army,” for which he and drummer Bre Stewart welcomed Silvana Campus from MTBC (who were up next , playing the Pixies) to play bass.

She played bass on that and on“My Doorbell”, which also featured Jane Edmundson on keyboards.

MTBC, including Sil Campus, drummer Garwin Poff, guitarist Quint Viskup and frontman Rob Cooper played a tight set of ’90s alternative rock from the Pixies and ended with a rocked up version of ’60s classic “ Here Comes Your Man.”

I wasn’t able to stay for Cope and Ryland Moranz‘s Blink-182 tribute.

— By Richard Amery, L.a. Beat Editor

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 13 December 2017 13:59 )

Leisure Club play laid back ’80s tinged pop

Wednesday, 13 December 2017 13:34
Richard Amery

It was time to relive the spirit of the laid back ’80s at the Slice with Vancouver indie rock band Leisure Club, Friday, Dec. 1.

They had that Vancouver indie rock sound down with plenty of chiming, ambient guitars, but also added a lot of groove plus a touch of soul and ’80s pop/yacht rock along the lines of Duran Duran and Hall and Oates.

I wasn’t able to stay for the return of Calgary indie rock band the Ashely Hundred.

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 13 December 2017 13:45 )

More Christmas concerts and Windy City Opry first anniversary among week’s highlights

Tuesday, 12 December 2017 10:21
Richard Amery

We’re well into the Christmas season in the middle of December, so most of the week is dominated by Christmas related activities.

The biggest one is a sold out run of the Nutcracker at the University of Lethbridge with the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra. But there are several other options for entertainment.

Shaela Miller’s roots music concert series the Windy City Opry celebrates one year on Wednesday, Dec. 13 at the Slice with some familiar faces. Skinny Dyck and the Chicken Catchers, who are featured on an excellent new compilation of Southern Alberta roots and folk musicians. Ryland Moranz will be performing as well and Shaela Miller and her band will also be performing a set to close the night. As always, the show starts early at 8 p.m.. Admission is $10.

For a complete contrast to that show, faces will be melted and heads will be banged as the Slice hosts a Very metal Christmas featuring local metal/ hard rock bands Tyrants of Chaos, Caste of Shadows and Bring Your Own Bodies., Dec. 16 at 7 p.m.. There is a $10 cover for that show as well. Local classic rock band the Decadent phase play the Slice on Friday, Dec. 15.